I'm about to reach that magic Medicare age only to realize that between parts B, D and Medigap, which you really need to ensure full coverage and freedom to see doctors/specialists of choice, I'll be paying almost as much as I pay now for the exchange. Better coverage, but certainly not cheap. Sorry about TJs, that was my back up plan, too!
At some point you might want to do an exposé on Medigap, run by private insurance companies. Their rates vary widely from company to company for the same coverage - some are as much as double. In the 5 years my husband has had Medigap insurance through United Healthcare, his monthly premium has gone from $270 to $326, and next year will go up to $385. An 18% hike in just one year and a 43% increase overall. Part D (prescription) premiums are also skyrocketing. There are various programs that help people with low incomes but those of us in the middle or with unpredictable incomes (we're both freelancers) generally don't qualify, or it's not worth the bureaucratic hassle.
This is all so infuriating 🤬 I’m currently about $13,000 deep out of pocket (billed to my insurance at $65k!) in a medical odyssey that started with an IUD that broke upon removal and continued with a failed surgery to get the piece out (which was presented to me as an “easy peasy, bread and butter operation,” in the surgeon’s own words), and now an allegedly “irregular” endometrial lining which I learned about after being casually offered a TVU in my doctor’s office—with no indication that it was going to be charged apart from my annual exam—with a followup in 8 weeks, which I dutifully did, THEN she ordered a pelvic x-ray, which I also took care of, and only THEN did I begin receiving the bills for the first TVU, which apparently costs $900 *with* my good private insurance that I pay out the nose for and can’t afford to keep next year. So that’s 2 ultrasounds plus the x-ray (which the tech on the day of told me seemed like the wrong diagnostic tool but was “probably necessary so insurance would approve and eventual MRI”), plus my second mammo and breast ultrasounds on the year because: dense boobs and family cancer history, but insurance only covers one because: patriarchy - and I’m probably going to get another $4k in bills with no real progress to show on any of it. I feel like I’m going insane 🤯 (And don’t even get me started on the Covid shots my husband and I were denied recently!) Anyway all of this is to say, I feel for you and we’re all doomed.
At this point maybe it makes more sense for us to form our own community-based insurance and pay what we would pay the big companies into our own health fund? A pre-gofundme collective account. If we stop paying insurance companies, they might start being more consumer friendly.
Oh Deborah, I am so sorry for all your troubles with our terrible healthcare system. We must be the only country in the world where healthcare is a business, not a service. As long as the people deciding its structure are congress people and the President, I don’t think anything will change. They seem not to be affected by the lack of coverage or co-payments so, why should they change it. I remember when the Obama administration had to cave to get the ACA passed. It wasn’t what they had originally designed but, the health insurance lobbyist were too strong and so, they were able to get the plans with HUGE deductibles accepted. Sending lots of good thoughts for a future job with benefits. Love your articles and strong voice!
Thank you, Linda. Yes. If Congress were forced to get ACA coverage, none of this would be happening. We are all prisoners of the health insurance lobby.
My understanding is if 60 (just turned 60) there will be no kicking off ACA/ Medi-cal/ Medicaid, but rates may skyrocket -- I actually just checked b/c 60 and need a colonoscopy and my doc said at 60 it is covered, so waiting til 2026 for that one... she also said I could get Covid shot and flu shot soon...I have Kaiser which seems on top of things as much as anyone can... just so distressing --the amount of energy/ $$ we have to spend for things that other countries agree and non negotiable is just ludicrous--so hard to keep fighting
I like everything about this - your honesty and clarity and calling out the problem as clearly as can be. Thank you. What I don't like is that we live in a country where bilking the system as a billionaire or corporation is applauded (or at least tolerated) and the rest of us are considered 'moochers' for thinking we have a right to healthcare. The ONLY silver lining is....as far as I understand it...the BBB isn't supposed to take effect until 2027 (after the 2026 midterm elections) so at least we may have a wee bit more time to come up with alternatives.
If you have 40+ quarters of work credit, go get a disability determination. At least go talk to a good and reputable disability attorney. A determination will give you Medicaid coverage for two years, then you'll transition to Medicare. You can also start drawing your SS benefits early and for only a couple hundred less than if you waited until 67 to draw the 'full' amount. With my history of cancer and layers of side effects from treatments for the cancer as well as treatments for side effects, it's something I've at least started to investigate.
I just… argh. You write so clearly and well about the spaghetti of the US healthcare industry, and every time I get mad again that anyone should have such experiences. I bailed on the US ‘system’ in 1992 and am so, so glad I did. (I might not have made it to 60, otherwise.) Since then, I have had individual private health insurance plans that covered me wherever I was in the world, and since settling in Switzerland have the required individual insurance plan that every resident must purchase. With extras tacked on (for private hospitals, alternative medicine like acupuncture, care or repatriation while abroad, etc) I pay about $750 monthly which is not a small amount but I do actually get a lot for it. And I don’t have to panic at regular intervals, which is priceless.
Hello, I receive an email charging my cc with a subscription fee for your Lady Parts Substack for one year from you TODAY. I did not subscribe and tried canceling it through Substacks and they suggested I contact you through email (which I cannot find) or DM through your newsletter. I’ll leave it with you & trust you will reverse the unauthorized fees. Thank you.
Hi, Denise. I'm so sorry you're having problems with this. It seems as if you have already cancelled your subscription, so I removed you from the list as well. I also can see that since you subscribed on September 23, 2023, you have received twenty emails and opened each of them, so you have been at least getting and reading these emails, which is what you paid for when you subscribed. Here are the steps to take to cancel your subscription, if you haven't already, and you should receive a pro-rated refund. https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037489252-How-do-I-cancel-my-paid-subscription-on-Substack If you are still having problems, do not hesitate to reach out to me by simply hitting reply on any of the emails you received from me. That will land directly in my email inbox.
(I was just wiped for 10 months from the French medical system after 24 years, after changing address. 10 registered letters later, I’m back in the system without any explication. They save a lot of money doing it to unsuspecting French citizens/residents, according to my mole in the PM’s office)
Keep on writing. Your perspective is so needed. And FWIW, Trader Joe's does not deserve you!
Thank you. I was actually looking forward to working there.
I was so hoping the happy ending here would be that Trader Joe's hired you and I teared up reading that rejection letter. Their loss.
I’m still in the “talent pool!” There’s hope!
Oh God! Your writing about this is so important! Thank you!
I'm about to reach that magic Medicare age only to realize that between parts B, D and Medigap, which you really need to ensure full coverage and freedom to see doctors/specialists of choice, I'll be paying almost as much as I pay now for the exchange. Better coverage, but certainly not cheap. Sorry about TJs, that was my back up plan, too!
Ugh! I need to blow up the whole system and start over.
At some point you might want to do an exposé on Medigap, run by private insurance companies. Their rates vary widely from company to company for the same coverage - some are as much as double. In the 5 years my husband has had Medigap insurance through United Healthcare, his monthly premium has gone from $270 to $326, and next year will go up to $385. An 18% hike in just one year and a 43% increase overall. Part D (prescription) premiums are also skyrocketing. There are various programs that help people with low incomes but those of us in the middle or with unpredictable incomes (we're both freelancers) generally don't qualify, or it's not worth the bureaucratic hassle.
From Canada, we love and support your work. Thank you.
I might have to emigrate. Stay tuned…
This is all so infuriating 🤬 I’m currently about $13,000 deep out of pocket (billed to my insurance at $65k!) in a medical odyssey that started with an IUD that broke upon removal and continued with a failed surgery to get the piece out (which was presented to me as an “easy peasy, bread and butter operation,” in the surgeon’s own words), and now an allegedly “irregular” endometrial lining which I learned about after being casually offered a TVU in my doctor’s office—with no indication that it was going to be charged apart from my annual exam—with a followup in 8 weeks, which I dutifully did, THEN she ordered a pelvic x-ray, which I also took care of, and only THEN did I begin receiving the bills for the first TVU, which apparently costs $900 *with* my good private insurance that I pay out the nose for and can’t afford to keep next year. So that’s 2 ultrasounds plus the x-ray (which the tech on the day of told me seemed like the wrong diagnostic tool but was “probably necessary so insurance would approve and eventual MRI”), plus my second mammo and breast ultrasounds on the year because: dense boobs and family cancer history, but insurance only covers one because: patriarchy - and I’m probably going to get another $4k in bills with no real progress to show on any of it. I feel like I’m going insane 🤯 (And don’t even get me started on the Covid shots my husband and I were denied recently!) Anyway all of this is to say, I feel for you and we’re all doomed.
It’s so crazy!!! All of it!!!!
At this point maybe it makes more sense for us to form our own community-based insurance and pay what we would pay the big companies into our own health fund? A pre-gofundme collective account. If we stop paying insurance companies, they might start being more consumer friendly.
Oh Deborah, I am so sorry for all your troubles with our terrible healthcare system. We must be the only country in the world where healthcare is a business, not a service. As long as the people deciding its structure are congress people and the President, I don’t think anything will change. They seem not to be affected by the lack of coverage or co-payments so, why should they change it. I remember when the Obama administration had to cave to get the ACA passed. It wasn’t what they had originally designed but, the health insurance lobbyist were too strong and so, they were able to get the plans with HUGE deductibles accepted. Sending lots of good thoughts for a future job with benefits. Love your articles and strong voice!
Thank you, Linda. Yes. If Congress were forced to get ACA coverage, none of this would be happening. We are all prisoners of the health insurance lobby.
Im in the same boat in CA… looking into all kinds of options, and yes madly scheduling appointments now…insanity!!
It’s bonkers. Particularly the lack of transparency by our own government. Like: what’s gonna happen? We need to make plans!
My understanding is if 60 (just turned 60) there will be no kicking off ACA/ Medi-cal/ Medicaid, but rates may skyrocket -- I actually just checked b/c 60 and need a colonoscopy and my doc said at 60 it is covered, so waiting til 2026 for that one... she also said I could get Covid shot and flu shot soon...I have Kaiser which seems on top of things as much as anyone can... just so distressing --the amount of energy/ $$ we have to spend for things that other countries agree and non negotiable is just ludicrous--so hard to keep fighting
I like everything about this - your honesty and clarity and calling out the problem as clearly as can be. Thank you. What I don't like is that we live in a country where bilking the system as a billionaire or corporation is applauded (or at least tolerated) and the rest of us are considered 'moochers' for thinking we have a right to healthcare. The ONLY silver lining is....as far as I understand it...the BBB isn't supposed to take effect until 2027 (after the 2026 midterm elections) so at least we may have a wee bit more time to come up with alternatives.
The lack of clarity is kind of astounding though, yes? Asking a simple question. Getting no answer. And thank you!!!
That feels like a summary of the times we are living in..."ask a simple question and get no answer" :-(
If you have 40+ quarters of work credit, go get a disability determination. At least go talk to a good and reputable disability attorney. A determination will give you Medicaid coverage for two years, then you'll transition to Medicare. You can also start drawing your SS benefits early and for only a couple hundred less than if you waited until 67 to draw the 'full' amount. With my history of cancer and layers of side effects from treatments for the cancer as well as treatments for side effects, it's something I've at least started to investigate.
I just… argh. You write so clearly and well about the spaghetti of the US healthcare industry, and every time I get mad again that anyone should have such experiences. I bailed on the US ‘system’ in 1992 and am so, so glad I did. (I might not have made it to 60, otherwise.) Since then, I have had individual private health insurance plans that covered me wherever I was in the world, and since settling in Switzerland have the required individual insurance plan that every resident must purchase. With extras tacked on (for private hospitals, alternative medicine like acupuncture, care or repatriation while abroad, etc) I pay about $750 monthly which is not a small amount but I do actually get a lot for it. And I don’t have to panic at regular intervals, which is priceless.
Aw, Jesus Deb! I'm so sorry... If only more people would mobilize in their best interests...
Whoa!
Hello, I receive an email charging my cc with a subscription fee for your Lady Parts Substack for one year from you TODAY. I did not subscribe and tried canceling it through Substacks and they suggested I contact you through email (which I cannot find) or DM through your newsletter. I’ll leave it with you & trust you will reverse the unauthorized fees. Thank you.
Hi, Denise. I'm so sorry you're having problems with this. It seems as if you have already cancelled your subscription, so I removed you from the list as well. I also can see that since you subscribed on September 23, 2023, you have received twenty emails and opened each of them, so you have been at least getting and reading these emails, which is what you paid for when you subscribed. Here are the steps to take to cancel your subscription, if you haven't already, and you should receive a pro-rated refund. https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037489252-How-do-I-cancel-my-paid-subscription-on-Substack If you are still having problems, do not hesitate to reach out to me by simply hitting reply on any of the emails you received from me. That will land directly in my email inbox.
I've just followed up over DM with a screenshot of your subscription.
Bravo Ms. Copaken. 👏🏼 Sounds very frustrating.
(I was just wiped for 10 months from the French medical system after 24 years, after changing address. 10 registered letters later, I’m back in the system without any explication. They save a lot of money doing it to unsuspecting French citizens/residents, according to my mole in the PM’s office)
Wow! I had no idea!